The most common hindrance to relaxation is – unsurprisingly – the neck muscles, followed by the shoulder muscles. Most people will suffer from this to one extent or another. It’s very easy to notice the level of mental stress within an individual by the set of their neck and shoulders. What’s not so easy, is to remove and release the tension – which of course makes it very difficult to completely relax in any enjoyable or meaningful way.

Fortunately there are a number of ways of releasing this tension. Here is a method you can use yourself, it’s very easy and can be done anywhere – whether on your own or in a crowd:

Shoulder Relaxation Exercise

Stand up with your arms hanging straight down.

Raise your left and place your fingers behind your left should muscle.

Using your fingers gently grip the muscle and apply a comfortable amount of pressure.

Gently squeeze the muscle three times.

Release your grip, but maintaining a comfortable amount of downward pressure on the muscle, slide your fingers over your shoulder and down towards your chest, this will stretch your muscle a little in the direction you are moving your hand.

Do this 4 or 5 times.

Repeat the same process with your right-hand and right shoulder.

Neck Relaxation Exercise

Stand up with your arms hanging straight down.

Using either your left or right hand, reach around to the back of your neck.

Place your thumb on one side of your neck, and reach your fingers around to the other side of your neck.

Squeeze your fingers and thumb together some that you are gripping your neck. Take care to only apply a comfortable amount of pressure.

Repeat this 4 or 5 times.

You should notice a distinct level of improvement in your muscles after this exercise. You can repeat these as often as necessary, the beauty of these relaxation exercises is that you can do them wherever and whenever you desire.

Music has long been used to stimulate many different mental and emotional states, and has indeed been used for such for thousands of years; perhaps back to the earliest years of humanity itself. excitement, exhilaration, sadness, compassion all of these and much more can be stimulated through the use of suitable music. For our purposes then, we are looking for music to help induce the deepest possible states of relaxation.

There are many types and styles of music which can assist with helping one relax. Music specifically designed for relaxation will perhaps give you the best possible results, themes such as meditation music, soothing music are each very good. Another style of audio one can use is known as ‘brainwave entrainment’ – this uses audio to stimulate specific emotional and / or mental states.

Music for Relaxation

Brainwave entrainment achieves stimulation of these emotional states by embedding a variety of frequencies within an audio track. The frequency determines which emotional or mental response will be evoked. Look for the following frequencies as a part of your relaxation music:

0.5hz

8hz to 11hz

136.1hz

Any audio you may find that utilizes these frequencies will do an exceptional job of relaxing you.

Tai Chi is a Chinese martial arts which many people take up as a method of exercise and relaxation. Tai Chi is a very good alternative to yoga, though tai chi is perhaps the lesser known of the two. This art is perfect for those in their older years, as it is very gentle on the body – whilst at the same time providing many benefits, a few of which are listed here:

Relief of stress on the mind and body

Improve physical fitness

Can be used for self-defence

Cultivates calmness and improved health

Improve your Relaxation with Tai Chi

Although it isn’t as popular as yoga, tai chi classes can be found locally in most places – groups range from small to large. Take a look in your local newspaper to find classes.

As tai chi employs the application of slow movements, it can be practised almost anywhere and it general it is not overly strenuous. Within just a few days, many report the benefits of improved relaxation and much reduced stress.

So here is a small update to help see the New Year in. Hopefully most had a great holiday and a relaxed new year, yet going back into all the old routines can often bring out levels of stress, anxiety and all the rest of it. To assist with making the transition that much easier a good option is to ensure a high degree of relaxation. That’s not an easy thing for all of us, I am well aware – so with that in mind here is a quick list of relaxation techniques, exercises and tips.

Quick Relaxation Tips

Relaxation Tips:

As part of the New Year, why not sign up to a yoga class? Alternatively if yoga is not your thing, then Tai Chi is a fantastic alternative. Relaxation can be gained from such classes regardless of your age.

Set aside time for regular exercise such as walking or gardening.

Take up a fitness routine; visit the gym or take up martial arts.

Quick and Easy Relaxation Tips

Learn a relaxation breathing technique.

Take up regular meditation; allow 10 minutes in the morning and evening for this…you may be surprised how effective this can be.

Obtain a Relaxation MP3 like the one on this site. Listen to it once a day at your convenience.

In today’s hectic world, it is all too easy to underestimate the importance of relaxation. In many ways the modern developed world has become a culture of work orientated individuals – fiercely loyal to their job and working regime. This unfortunately leaves little room for the important things in life…and yes many studies have shown just how important relaxation is to our both our mental and physical health. Not to mention the undue stress which lack of relaxation can bring to our relationships.

Learn how to Relax

With this in mind is it any wonder that so many people suffer from stress, anxiety and even depression? Yet, fitting the necessary time into a busy lifestyle for relaxation can be far from easy. Fortunately there are a number of means and methods which can assist us with this. Here, the wonders of modern technology quickly become a keen ally.

It is well known that music for relaxation is an easy and quick method to chill out. This can be taken a step further through the use of technology and this is where online relaxation methods are able to stand in. Performing a quick search on the Internet for ‘relaxation audio’ will return a number of results on the theory behind this endeavour – however such searches fail to return much of a practical nature. This is where this sites online relaxation MP3s come into play. Take a quick look at the start of this brief article and you will find a link to a 20minute relaxation MP3 download. This is a very simple audio contain the sound of beach surf which many people find very relaxing. Feel free to give it a try, the quality of the audio is fairly high and the file size is reasonably small.

Relax Easy with a Relaxation MP3

Simply play the audio through your computer speakers, or even load it onto your chosen MP3 player. Then lay back and chill out to the sound of crashing waves – you may be surprised how effective this relaxation method actually is. With just 20 minutes of this audio, you can quickly feel rejuvenated and relaxed – and 20 minutes can be fit into almost any schedule, including lunch breaks etc. It’s a nice free and easy method accessible to everyone, so go ahead and give it a try.